Cheers sound out through the field as the team runs up to one another, tired, but congratulating one another on a game well-played. The club went into the game expecting to be defeated by one of the top teams in their league, but hit a lucky streak in the second quarter and carried it out through the rest of the game. Chase White (12) celebrates with his team, delighted about the outcome of the game. 

Chase began his journey with lacrosse in elementary school, following the lead of his older sister and brother. When COVID-19 happened, the lacrosse field was shut down and he stopped playing for some time. Even though the sport impacted his family by bringing them across the state for tournaments, Chase did not truly understand how meaningful the sport had become for him. 

“When COVID-19 happened, I didn’t have a team to play for, so I didn’t have an opportunity until a couple years ago when one of our family friends said they were starting a team,” Chase said. “It had been a part of me for such a long time and I didn’t realize how much I liked it. I only realized that I liked it a lot more than I thought I did when I had to leave it because it ended so abruptly.” 

For Chase, lacrosse became a respite from the pressures of school placed upon him. He finds the simplicity of the sport to clear his mind of many stresses, his excitement for lacrosse driving him forwards even in hard times. 

“On the weekends, I wake up and then go to lacrosse and then I have the whole day ahead of me,” Chase said. “It’s a nice mental reset after the week because you have the academic pressure of Harker and then you go into the weekend and it’s all gone. You played lacrosse, and then you’re ready to go into next week.”

Even during a stressful time, Chase makes sure to always engage in his academic interests. During his biology class with Teacher Johnson, Chase consistently asked questions throughout the class, catalyzing conversation and engaging the students around him. Teacher Johnson commends his ability to bring attention to the room and lighten all the conversations around him. 

“He’s like a big ball of sun came into the room, and it could be dark, but when Chase walks into the room, things brighten up a little bit,” Johnson said. “It’s hard to explain but that’s his presence. Someone who brightens the room.”

While in school, Chase applies the skills he picked up during lacrosse to his overall mentality as well. He finds that the work ethic that he put into lacrosse, an activity that he truly enjoys and tries to never miss, helped him apply the same resolve to all his endeavors. 

“Lacrosse really taught me how to balance school,” Chase said. “That same mindset I use in lacrosse was transferred over to school and I’d say it has helped me focus during times that I have not wanted to focus or to put in the effort. And being able to switch that mindset has been useful because you are able to get this done and just put your mind to ease afterwards.”

Whether during lacrosse or elsewhere, Chase always creates new connections. In his sophomore year, after beginning to coach younger children in lacrosse, Chase helped out with many teams. It was there that Chase gained a new respect for his own coaches, learning from the many people he met along the way. 

“Getting in the mindset of a coach and a player helps gain a wider perspective, which is useful in lacrosse and in general,” Chase said. “Coaching has opened new opportunities that I’ve never had before and it’s been really fun in regards to how I have worked with multiple teams besides the team I began coaching for.”

Through all he does, Chase openly portrays his feelings to the people around him. He interacts with his friends in special ways, always letting his friends that he is there for them. Close friend Maya Cheshire (12) describes his interactions with their friend group.

“He expresses how he feels by showing up for you with actions and not necessarily words,” Maya said. “I would say it is something special about him.”

Close friend Phoebe Castle (12) cherishes Chase’s constant kindness. She remembers a moment in sophomore chemistry class when the two were paired together for a lab and Chase laughed his way through a mistake. 

“He’s always there to add a layer of humor to it to light a situation, but he’s also very reliable,” Phoebe said. “I know that he was really invested in how his team would do and he almost never missed a chance to practice.”